Kylie Minogue is the latest superstar to receive the Netflix treatment, with a new three-part series that delves into her usually private love life. The pop star, 57, shares her world over three episodes and describes the series as a collection of love stories. She says: "I feel like it is a series of love stories. It's a love story with my craft, with certain people in my life, with my audience, family, fans, music and so much more. I've just been saying to my friends, 'Buckle up. You're in for a ride'. I think that's accurate... and if you don't laugh, you'll cry."
In the series, Kylie opens up about her breast cancer battle at age 36, which she says robbed her of the chance to become a mother. She also explores personal loss and discusses her past romances. Initially reluctant to share these details, she felt there was no other way to tell the story of her career. "Those stories were a massive part of my life; they are still a massive part of my life today. They weren't easy to talk about. But I felt like I was in experienced and kind hands, so I was able to share more than I normally would," she explains.
Behind the Scenes and Unseen Footage
Director Michael Harte reveals that Kylie's brother Brendan supplied a wealth of unseen footage. "Kylie's brother was a cameraman, so he was always around with a camera, which is the greatest thing you can wish for when making a documentary," Harte says. The series, from the team behind the Beckham documentary, also includes personal videos from Jason Donovan, Kylie's former co-star and on-screen love interest from Neighbours. Kylie shot to fame as Charlene, whose romance with Scott (played by Jason Donovan) captivated audiences. Their on-screen wedding in 1988 was watched by 20 million viewers in the UK.
Kylie says of Jason's footage: "Jason's footage of us on holiday. I was like, 'What?' My heart swelled. I thought, 'Oh my God, we were just babies.' That brought back tidal waves of nostalgia, emotion, and a lot of love."
Romances and Relationships
Kylie later fell in love with INXS singer Michael Hutchence, ending her relationship with Jason Donovan via a phone call from Japan, which broke his heart. Michael's memorable pick-up line to Kylie was: "I don't know what we should do first, have lunch or have sex..." Their relationship lasted from 1989 to 1991, but they remained close until Michael's death in 1997. Kylie reflects: "Michael was an amazing person. That's why the world loved him. That's why we were, and still are, fascinated by him. We were all fans of Michael and INXS. I was 21 when we met. He just had such an impact on me. He was a smart, kind, deep, artistic and interesting human and we went on this beautiful journey. His passing was a loss to so many, including myself." The rocker inspired Kylie to explore new artistic directions.
Kylie was just 17 when she joined Neighbours and 19 for the release of her first single, The Loco-Motion. The sister of TV star Dannii Minogue, she also collaborated with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in 1995. Looking back at her early career, Kylie says: "I'm proud of myself for just showing up. I think of the times where I just thought, 'Everyone here is waiting for me to fail.' I still don't really know how I did it. I'm thinking about my first live TV performance – and I don't know how I found the strength or verve to do that. There were times when part of me would have loved to just say, 'Oh, it's too hard'. So I'm proud that I stayed the course, I'm proud I took risks and I'm proud of having such amazing people with me for the ride."
The series Kylie will launch on Netflix on Wednesday next week.
